Battles brewing over animal bills

Existing whistle-blower laws would protect workers from retaliation, he added. Critics say employees, particularly, would still be fearful of retaliation.

Patterson suggested some opponents have ulterior motives to use videos and photographs as fundraising tools for their animal rights causes.

Jennifer Fearing, California state director of the Humane Society of the United States, said the bill is a “clever disguise” to stifle workers who witness cruelty and limit undercover investigations that can expose long-term patterns that may be overlooked by managers.

“You would never tell a detective you have 48 hours to make your case,” Fearing said.

Critics of the food processing industry note that similar measures have passed or are pending in about a dozen states, which they say are part of a national campaign to protect plants at the expense of animal welfare and food safety.

In California, the Humane Society’s 2007 undercover investigation of a Chino plant led to the largest beef recall in U.S. history. The footage showed workers processing “downer” cows that are too sick to stand. Plants, by law, are banned from processing those cows out of fear of food-borne illnesses.

Patterson said he is open to “rational” amendments to overcome “resistance based on a misunderstanding of what we are trying to do.”

• Pet meds tax break: Senate Bill 688 would eliminate the sales tax on medicines charged to veterinarians, animal shelters and other nonprofit rescue groups. It will save pet owners about $10 million annually, supporters estimate. But that means an equal loss in revenue for state and local governments.

“This legislation will provide savings to the people who help us care for our pets, those savings will then be passed on to the consumer,” said Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, a Stockton Democrat carrying the bill,

Veterinarians have long been critical of the tax, noting that cheaper Internet-based providers are able to undercut the price of prescriptions. Prescription medication for humans is exempt from the sales tax.

• Dog parks: Assembly Bill 265 would grant immunity from liability lawsuits to local governments that own or operate dog parks in the event someone is bitten or injured. The goal is to encourage such places where dogs can run unleashed.

• Hunting bears with hounds: Assembly Bill 1230 would overturn a new law that bars hunters from using dogs to hunt bears.

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, said treeing the bears with hounds allows hunters to use discretion and not shoot pregnant or young bears.

Critics say using hounds is not humane and also could endanger the dogs.

Give that Democrats command a huge majority, it is unlikely Donnelly’s measure will advance.

• Foie Gras: Senate Bill 675 would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to develop some standards for animal welfare.

However, some animal advocates worry that could lead to an attempt, either through the bill or in later regulations, to overturn the state’s ban on force-feeding ducks and geese to fatten their livers used to make a costly appetizer called “foie gras.”